2011-2012 Annual Report - Full Version - PDF - Palmerston North ...

The District PlanThe Council has continued its sectional review ofthe District Plan (Shaping our City – Creating aSustainable Future). During the year this involveda range of issues including planning in the CBDand suburban centres, erosion at Anzac Cliffs,an update to the roading hierarchy, a review ofdesignations (public utilities), the impact of ruralresidential lifestyles, where future urban growthwill occur and alignment of the City View Issuesand Objectives with Council strategy. Researchand analysis is also underway on a number of theissues including natural hazards, the industrial,institutional and airport zones, and natural andcultural heritage, e.g. notable trees. The PlanChange for the Central Business Zones focused onmaking the CBD an effective place to do businessand an attractive and easy place to shop and work.The Rural-Residential Land Use Strategy balancesthe desire for some people to live on lifestyleblocks with the impact this has on rural productionand the look and feel of rural areas. The ResidentialGrowth Strategy was adopted in 2010. It identifiesCity West (land bordered by No. 1 Line, RongoteaRoad, Shirriffs Road and the Mangaone Stream)and Whakarongo (land bordered by Napier Road,Stoney Creek Road, James Line and the cemetery)as growth areas. Implementation of the ResidentialGrowth Strategy within the District Plan is subjectto evaluation of the results of the liquefaction andstormwater assessments in the areas identified.Council’s StrategiesDuring the year the Council adopted the Safe CityStrategy and the Domestic Energy Strategy. Italso started work on developing or reviewing theSocial Strategy, Social Housing Strategy, MāoriCommunity Strategy, Community EngagementStrategy, Active Recreation Strategy. All of thesestrategies show in more detail how the Council willimplement its Sustainable City Strategy.The Council also worked with the ManawatuDistrict Council, Vision Manawatu and DestinationManawatu to develop the Regional DevelopmentStrategy (RDS). Its main goal is to make theManawatū the best place to raise a family. It doesthis by making it a safe place to live, a world centreof food innovation, a distribution hub, a leaderin innovative and sustainable environmentalpractices and an economy with lots of jobs. TheEconomic Development Activity has furtherinformation about the RDS.Other areas the Council focused on during theyear include implementing the Urban DesignStrategy, preparing a Climate Change ActionPlan, amending the Community Funding Policy,developing a Public Transport Position Statement,preparing a plan to be ‘The Best Place to Ride aBike’, reviewing bylaws, and economic monitoring.The Council is committed to fostering andstrengthening its relationship with Rangitāne andhas held bi-monthly meetings with Iwi on a rangeof topics. A major consultation was on Te Motuo Poutoa and the development of river and cliffworks at Anzac Park. The nature of the structurethat will ultimately be built and other matterssuch as access and indigenous planting are all tobe worked through with Rangitāne. This has alsoled to a commitment from the Council to developa reserve management plan for the area which willhave strong iwi involvement. Central governmenttreaty settlements negotiations are well advancedwith the Rangitāne representative groups that theCouncil works with, and there is likely to be newand significant agreements negotiated in the nearfuture to manage and build relationships with theiwi collectively. There has also been consultationwith the Ngati Hineaute Hapu Authority on thedevelopment of a new kohanga in Highbury,Rangitāne has also made significant comment onthe Draft Māori Community Strategy for the Cityand the Māori community in Highbury have had amajor involvement in the development of FarnhamPark as a model for neighbourhood engagementthat Council is wanting to promote.In the next year the Council will put more emphasison advocating to central government on issuesthat affect Palmerston North. It will also put moreemphasis on monitoring its plans and strategies- including developing an online monitoring toolthat shows key tends in the City and outlines howsuccessful Council’s strategies are.Palmerston North City Council Annual Report 2011/12What the Council Does Direction Setting Leadership37